Jedd Fisch stresses importance of reaching a bowl game for Washington

Washington head coach Jedd Fisch has the Huskies close to bowl eligibility and based on what he’s done in the past at Arizona, it’s vastly important at a new program.

Washington is just one season removed from making the College Football Playoff national championship game. But with a coaching change and roster turnover, Fisch had to work fast.

Currently at 4-4, there’s a massive matchup with USC as the Trojans come to town Saturday. 

“It’s so important because it’s an opportunity to celebrate a season,” Fisch said of bowl eligibility. “You know, going into this year with all the newness of our team, the fact that we can be together for another month is really special. That’s what’s important. It’s important for seniors to have a chance to showcase their skills one more time. It’s important for our fans to be able to go watch another football game. All of that’s really important. 

“I try to focus in on beating (USC), but I would love nothing more than to celebrate something in December with a bowl game, with our families and with our friends and with our team, and we’re going to do everything we can to do that.”

Fisch and the Huskies have lost two in a row to Iowa and No. 13 Indiana in the last two games. With top three teams Penn State and Oregon remaining on their schedule, every game counts for bowl eligibility.

“It’s important to win at home,” Fisch said, referring to this weekend’s game against the Trojans. “It’s important to beat a long-time Pac-12 foe, it’s important to, you know, stop a two game skid, it’s important to get better, and we’re going to do everything we can to do that. We know we got a great challenge. It’s important for them also. And I think you got both teams that are going to play (and are) desperate for a win and excited for that opportunity. 

“They’re going to be two teams that are going to compete very hard, and we’re going to have to see what that looks like this week but you know I told our team don’t predict the future. Don’t try to figure out what’s gonna happen in two weeks, three weeks, in one week, just figure out what’s gonna happen today, and then let’s see how good we can play, and then let’s see what Saturday brings.”